These are the ramblings of a 50 year old Glaswegian woman, who used to be menopausal but isn’t anymore. Some higher power finally gave me a break and returned me to being a normal human being for which I will be eternally grateful.

Friday, 20 November 2009

I'm a Celebrity get me Out of Here

Dear God, have you been watching 'I'm a nobody, keep me in here this week'? Now I am not a fan of reality shows in general. I used to watch the X Factor but when I realised the level of manipulation involved on the part of the production team - you know what I mean - the 'my father died before he could see me on here as it was his dearest wish but I know he's watching from above' type of tugging at the heartstring statement as he/she wipes away a tear, I stopped watching. In the thick of severe depression and the menopause, I'd sit with tears streaming down my face until I realised I was being played for a mug.

I'd laugh like a drain when someone came on and sang like a bag of spanners in a tumble drier and Simon Cowell would put them straight - but my laughter was reserved for those little angels who had been told by mummy and daddy that they were special and then let rip a foul mouth string of abuse at Cowell for telling them the truth. It didn't sit comfortably with me that the other poor hopefuls chasing their dreams got sharp shrift and summarily dismissed. Perhaps it's best they know and find another dream but we seem to have spawned a plethora of Cruelality TV programmes where the criticism is delivered with unqualified glee.

The only show that I'd beat a path back from the pub at speed to see was 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here'. I reckoned that as these celeb's were trying to kick start their careers and get paid and humiliated for the privilege and were adults capable of rational decision, then what the hell, I'd have a laugh at their expense. And that was fine whilst the public voted for characters and not simply out of spite. I can't bear Celebrity for Celebrity sake - the Paris Hilton's, the Katie Price's of this world. If someone can act, sing, dance, and work hard, then great they deserve to achieve success in the bear pit of the arts. If they need to keep their name at the top of the next casting director's list then why not get themselves more air time because there are too many talented actors out of work, too many chasing the same parts. It's a tough ole world out there so good on them I say, although many would say that the rag bag of celeb's that go into the show are pretty devoid of talent but I find it refreshing when you see someone you previously disliked coming up trumps and changing your opinion of them.

But for the love of God, this year's offering has become the 'let's beat the crap out of Katie Price' show. If you read the comments on the articles about the show on the Daily Mail web site then you would think this girl was a paedophile. She has a great many haters who spit venom and vile and keep voting her in to do the bush tucker trials. Anyone who tries to point out the simple truth that to keep voting for her is to continue to supply her with the oxygen of publicity and if they stopped we might get to see some of the other celeb's have a go, gets shot down in flames and red arrowed - nope that wasn't me - I don't bother my arse to comment. As much as I despise the cult of celebrity - and I don't mean the reverence afforded to the great iconic actors, singers, comics and so on that have talent - I am sickened by a demographic of society who behave in the manner of spectators holding their thumbs down as a Christian was thrown to the lions. I know she has courted publicity when it suited her and I know she divides opinion into those who love her and those who hate her. It has been argued enough about how she is iconic to a section of young impressionable people who think they don't have to work hard and just want to be famous. But for all I hate to see column inches about this young woman as frankly she just annoys me, no one could say she got there by not working hard at it. That's the message that doesn't get across to those seeking fame for fame sake.

IACGMOOH has become a ritualistic virtual stoning of a young woman whose life has been spiralling out of control since the breakup of her marriage. We are seeing the public destruction of a celebrity without really realising that she is a person who doesn't always make the right decisions in her life. I know I've made some horrendous decisions in my life but I've been able to lick my wounds in private. I know my life fell apart when relationships have fallen apart but I raged, cried and grieved in private. We all know just how duplicitous and wicked the press can be but we still fall for their tricks and read the papers believing somewhere along the line that there is no smoke without fire and so she becomes a figure of hate. She should have taken herself away and recovered in private but she is a product of her own, her fans'and the press's making with 'Brand Katie' to protect. She clearly went full-on to attempt to win the ratings war against the husband who left her. In her hurt and humiliation and most likely reeling from a broken heart she reverted to her alter ego 'Jordan' and seemed out of control as she blundered from one photo opportunity to another, each one showing her in a worse light than the one before. I mean who of us hasn't lost weight, acquired a new hairdo, and changed our wardrobe in a futile attempt to show the git that dumped us that we've moved on, ready for action and say hey, just look what you lost? In her desperation to wash that man right out of her hair, it seems that Katie went back to her alter ego of the glamour model Jordan, to a time when she was successful before Andre entered her life. She should have moved forward, not back. Doesn't that seem like a poorly advised woman who reverted to type and tried too hard to pretend her heart wasn't broken; the Sod you Mr, I'll show you how little you mean to me when all she really meant was come back and stop the hurt?

Her apparent panic attacks each time she is chosen for a trial didn't ring true to me as she's been in there before and coped admirably with the tasks. But I swing between believing it's an act of public manipulation and then wondering, given the knocks she is taking and the realisation that she is so disliked, if it is hurting her psychologically. Who can really say but although she is an ace manipulator I'd rather err on the side of caution and get her out of there pronto. But the mighty buck rules all and I doubt the producers of this show are too keen to lose their cash cow before the public oust her at the first chance. I find no comfort or laughter any more in seeing her do the trials.

We are known for being a nation that puts people on pedestals and then doing our utmost to knock them down for becoming too grand and full of themselves. Perhaps she deserves a lot of time in the shade but this public show of tearing her limb from limb leaves me distinctly uncomfortable and is bullying at its worst. Her mother and brother were both interviewed on a day time TV programme, saying quite rightly that she was being thrown to the lions. But really, I think their efforts might have been better served nurturing her and advising her not to throw herself into the den in the first place.

I never watched her reality show on TV, I'd rather have my eyes gouged out with a red hot poker but in reading more about her this week than at any other time I found that the general view is she bullied Andre incessantly and that her ego is rampant. She seems to be narcissistic and single minded in achieving her goals but I wonder how much we would find that distasteful were she male? After all, the majority of successful type A personalities run huge corporations and will step on anyone to get to the top - I know, I worked with and was married to one! I knew he would reach the top and he's achieved his dream of holding top positions and lately becoming the Chief Information Officer for a Fortune 500 international travel company that we all know and love. He's quoted regularly in the business press and I always smile when I see a reference to him and avidly read his words of wisdom for he is talented and wily and manipulative and a great orator. He talks up a good storm and is very charismatic. He was also hard to live with, vain, unfaithful and controlling. But that wasn't the whole man. He could be loving and kind and loved to party too, it was just that in time, I only saw the negative and needed my freedom and as I slowly emerged into the nutter I am today, he found his lack of ability to control me as constricting as I found him and so he left me. My point? Yes he had some distasteful traits but that wasn't all of him, and none of us are perfect. Inside Katie Price is someone just like him. She might have set herself up for retaliation but the beatings are severe, quite out of proportion to the crime.

And if anyone wants a real bush tucker trial, just nip over to my old mate Garry's house. The stuff he knocks up would have the lining of your stomach on the floor.

37 comments:

Hello MOB! I have to agree with you on this one. X Factor makes me cringe, we are gettting the wool pulled over our eyes with that show,and although I am not the biggest fan of katie price/jordan whoever she is that day, I do not enjoy her suffering on that show. I would not wish that on anybody. The daily mail? I am obessessed with the website, only to read how horrible people can really be. Have you read some of the comments? Shocked every time! I nearly stuck in a comment defending Victoria beckham the other day! Thats how shocked i am! Nasty! Hope you are doing good!

I dont know who is advising her , but then is she listeningShe is a brazen self possed woman who needs to think about may be staying with her kids, who are part of this break up rather than showing her false tits and and playing to the press I just cannot stand to watch since she re appeared

Auntie – I know people rightly say she deserves all she is getting because she courted the press, live by the sword, die by the sword and all that, but I think enough is enough. It’s like rubber-knecking at a road accident just watching it.

Clairedulalune – the DM pages and comments are shocking in intensity and vitriol. God it must have been bad if you almost stuck up for VB! NOOOOOOOO!

Casdok – yes those poor kids. I really don’t know what to make of it all but I guess time will tell if there are any implications. I heard she was donating her fee to charity, does that exonerate her?

Aims – if you click on the link on her name you’ll see a newspaper report about the show and the girl I am talking about. It’s a reality show where celebrities humiliate themselves in return for exposure to kick start their careers. Katie Price is a love hate figure here in the UK and a proportion of the general public have been consistently voting for her to do a daily trial where she has to collect stars to be traded for meals so the camp can eat each day. You might just get her over there after this show ends! After all you got the Beckham’s so why not Katie too!

Martin H – I agree totally and she has made a deal with the Devil here. It might all just be a great act on her part and she’s absolutely fine but it is boring if not unsettling that she keeps getting voted for the trials.

VM – I think you summed her up pretty well saying she’s brazen and flashing her false tits at the camera. That made me laugh! She does dress like a pole dancer with those Tupperware tits bulging out! I think what I find shocking are the girls on the street copying her style when you go out to pubs and bars. That’s a particularly odious result of her fame and how she dresses. Perhaps the kids are better off with Peter Andre for a while; you’d hope he wouldn’t let him see the programme.

Happy to say I wouldn't have a clue who Katie Price is,wouldn't recognise her if I passed on on the street..guess the girl has to earn a crust somehow an dlet's not forget she has choice.She doesn't have to be there.It's of her choosing.Ill advised but not for us to judge.Am I right?Yes we all have our ah's and most of us keep our dignity if nothing else and recover in private and safety.Anonymity is a wonderful gift,especially after the menopause when you become invisible.So freeing!Switch off and do something worthwhile with life, it's a rich tapestry out there!

MOB, I think the only reality TV show I've ever watched is an occasional "Dancing With the Stars" because I enjoy watching the dancing. Even that one I don't watch much because I hate the arbitrariness of who wins. This particular reality show I would definitely be happy to miss, but I was struck in reading your post about how much these contribute to bullying behavior. People watch others being humiliated and get off on it. It's sick, if you ask me.

I'm an unashamed fan of reality shows (well some of them - not X-factor!) particularly ones featuring 'slebs and "I'm a Celebrity ..." is my favourite.

I reckon Katie Price has gone in there hoping Peter Andre will see the woman he fell in love with - she's not over him no matter what she says and god knows why I care but there's something about her I can't help feeling sorry for!

It is my understanding that reality t.v. is much cheaper to produce than quality dramas, comedies and educational programs. They are also heavily edited to come up with the scenarios they think will create the most talk.

It is the dumbing down of the world. Stoop to the lowest common denominator.

John & Kate? My god, one should have to carry papers showing when you are allowed in public if they follow those kinds of shows.

I haven't watched any of this but sometimes pick up bits and pieces fro the papers.I do watch Strictly Come Dancing but was most put out that Arlene Phillips was ousted for someone younger. Such ageism makes me mad.

I am with you on this I hate bullying of all kinds and that is what is happening .. even though she is thriving on the attention ... What is it teaching our children ? As its my kids that drag me to watch it .. they love it and love s to share the experience but I am finding it uncomfortable. Quite frankly I am also bored watching her so it would be great to see someone else have a go .

Gawd, how did that pass me by - is the wonderful Katie on IACGMOOH AGAIN? You're absolutely right: these reality shows - and the whole notion of celebrity culture, come to that - seem to thrive on the "Throw 'em to the lions" pack mentality and pander to the very lowest common denominator, bringing otherwise perfectly ordinary people down to that level by the sinister fact they're so addictive. You're kind of drawn into it and have to know what happens next.

I find the whole idea of 'celebrity' highly suspect. Yes, we always used to have famous footballers, great comedians, notorious politicians, but these were usually people who'd actually done something to earn their position, whether good or bad. Some of today's so-called celebrities seem to feel the need to be validated simply by being in the public eye - it's almost as though they don't feel they exist unless all the world is watching. It's really quite worrying when you put the two things together, and it's almost inevitably bound to end in tears..

Goosebreeder – there’s clearly a market for what she does so she does it. She is a highly active self publicist who seems to be devoid of any talent except the ability to make money and that’s partly what annoys people; I think her public persona doesn’t do her any favours either. She’s certainly used what little she has to great effect financially. I wish I could make money out of the little talent I have. Yes she does have a choice to leave and she may do but these celeb’s have such massive ego’s that they will push themselves to the limit and do damage to their psyches rather than admit defeat. The format of these show’s are such that people are encouraged to judge, hence the reason she is being pilloried. Nope I didn’t go out and get a life – I watched it, cringed at her performance again but laughed heartily at the antics and comments of the other celeb’s on the show. Highly entertaining! And yes, coming through the menopause is the most amazing thing to happen to me lately. You are so right about feeling free.

D-Jan – I’ve never watched Dancing with the Stars or the UK equivalent which is called Strictly Come Dancing. I think all of these shows are highly manipulated productions with all sorts of business agenda’s in maximizing profits. The programme I am talking about in the post is heavily edited in a way that some people get no air time at all and other’s perhaps larger more annoying characters get too much. The psychologists working on the programme are expected to help design the trials to maximise psychological distress to add to the physical demands. They don’t command a lot of respect by the profession. Yes bullying is very much part of the fabric of the show and the more I watch it the more I am uncomfortable about the ethics of the show and my participation in it. I don’t think my excuse that I don’t vote holds much water these days.

Karen – well we all have our guilty secrets! I wonder if you are right about her wanting to show Mr Andre what he is missing by going back to the jungle. I feel sorry for her too which surprises me as I couldn’t bear the woman for a long time. She used to incense me – mind you I was a deeply intolerant eejit throughout the menopause so that clearly contributed! Yes I think she really loved the guy and perhaps she still does. What a shame.

Lori-E - it is certainly dumbing down, chewing gum for the brain TV and yes they are heavily edited which is truly annoying. I don’t know who I am trying to convince here but I suppose if you know that and treat it with a pinch of salt, it can be harmless viewing. But clearly there is a demographic of people who use it to vote with their fingers to let people know what they think of them over and over again. I think we have all been tempted to do this, especially in the beginning before conscious thought took over. I was certainly swayed by the fact that a proportion of the call cost goes to charity so that assuaged my guilt but I only phoned a few times about four years ago. It’s a bit like a protection racket saying they will donate a proportion of your money to charity – so that’s all right then! But I also think that as a society many people don’t like the way things are going and use programmes like this to register their utter dislike as they feel politicians aren’t listening so they take some control to vote for people they feel don’t merit the celeb status. It’s complicated. Best thing to do is use the remote!

Maggie – I don’t watch Strictly but I read about the furore over her sacking. I have no idea of whether she was good or not but too many older women are being removed from posts where crinkly old guys remain in situ. I was incensed when Moira Stewart was sacked as a news reader. She was one of the best and never courted celebrity status like we see the rest do now. She was damn good at her job.

Wildernesschick – yes I believe she thrives on the attention but then I always wonder about the people that are celebrity obsessed! They seem to need a form of escapism for perhaps what are dull drab lives!

I will admit to not watching IACGMOOH at all this year. I have watched it other years, and do remember watching 'Katie & Peter' in the jungle. So I don't really feel qualified to comment on this years show. But I have always felt a little sorry for her. I admire her business acumen, very canny lady, moneywise.

Parading some of my life on the blog where no one would know me if they ran me down with their car is likely as famous as I'll ever be - or ever want to be. I love being anonymous everywhere I go and the older I get, the more invisible I am. It has its perks. Makeup and coiffing take so much time! And there's no papparazzi waiting to splash my morning face and hair across the front page. The public thanks them.

Thank you for all your sweet support and kind words to me during recent events. :)

On the cable TV here in Belgium we only get BBC1+2 so I haven't watched I'm a Celeb ... but there again I wouldn't watch it anyway! And of course I don't know any of the so called Celebrities ...On a Grumpy Old Woman note, there was a programme on children's TV recently where kids were doing the same sort of thing but on a less dramatic scale - it was horrifying to see how desperate they were when they were knocked out - makes you think...I also read recently that children of 10-12 were interviewed and asked what they wanted to be when they grew up ... most of them said that they wanted to be a 'Celebrity'.Oh dear, oh dear.wv is whein - I think we will drink a lot at lunchtime today to forget the society in which we live!!

I must admit that I tend to avoid any reality TV programmes like the plague....I don't like being manipulated...at least not when the manipulation is being punted as 'true'.

Peter Andre seems like a decent fellow and I'm sure there has to be a good side to Katie which made him fall in love with her in the first place. No-one is all good or all bad...she certainly doesn't do herself any favours and she has to learn that actions always have consequences but I have to ask what it says about our nation that people take such glee in someone's misery!!

It occurred to me that I should confess to watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada this season only. I only watched because I knew one of the competitors and hurrah, hurray, she won the whole thing. I had posted all about her on my blog. Now back to regular snobbery.

LBD – I agree totally with all that you said here. I tend to be concerned about the people that are obsessed by celebrities. I know we all daydream about a life of luxury and obtaining the unobtainable but some people just hero worship celeb’s and don’t seem to be in touch with reality. After all, if these celeb’s weren’t worshipped then they wouldn’t exist.

BMTA – I have felt quite sorry for her on the programme as I do believe she is nursing a broken heart but I guess she’ll bounce back in no time!

Robyn – I hope things are easing a bit for you. You are one of the kindest people and you deserve a bit of peace now. Re the anonymity – I agree totally. I don’t mind earning a few bucks to make life even better but I would hate the idea of being a public figure. If anyone popped a camera around my door at anytime of the day, they’d get a fright! I like my privacy and don’t venture out of the house unless I have to.

Hamsterdam – brilliant name by the way. God that is shocking about a kids programme doing the same. That must be child abuse no? Kids are typically egocentric so they must reel from being knocked out. Yup you are right, a stiff drink just to forget society’s ills! Hope you had a good one.

Carol – I think so many of us despise the celeb culture that is taking over but should we just ignore it and just not read about them? When I was in the thick of the menopause, i would probably have voted like mad to get rid of her but now I just thought it was bullying. Still, I am sure she will recover very quickly when she realises she got 50k per trial!

Lori-E This made me chuckle quite a bit! I loved the back to snobbery quip!

I just get annoyed that Katie Price's leaving the jungle was second page news today, when there are far more interesting things going on in the world. Shows like IACGMOOH make me feel blessed that I don't have a telly, but I resent that somehow I still manage to know what is going on in all of these shows because it is plastered all over the "news" papers. Sigh.

I absolutely loathe the XFactor and never watch it. I just can't stand seeing the female judges cry and the male judges sit there as though they own the world.

As for I'm a Celeb, I love it. I'm hooked. But Katie shouldn't have gone in, I don't think. She knew exactly what she was letting herself in for, wanted to see if she was more popular than Pete and when she realised she wasn't, she left. I wonder however, from someone who doesn't believe in coincidence (i.e. me), whether the day she left was planned. Very odd if you ask me.

I sat and watched her do the trials and she loved it. She loved the publicity, the attention, the fact that people were phoning in for her, whether they like her or not.

She's done some good in her life I've no doubt, especially so far as her disabled son is concerned, but she's just so in love with herself, she can't see the wood for the boobs, errr, sorry, trees.

Crystal – oh God yes, the tears from the women judges – pure manipulation. And it’s just an entertainment show not a talent show. I think there was some humility from Ms Price during her interview with the fab Ant and Dec but to dump her big bruiser of a boyfriend on telly – I know she had summoned him to her hotel room an hour before – was more headline grabbing. It was also cruel. It seems she hasn’t learned much at all but maybe a bit of reflection on her part will make her retreat a bit but I doubt it.

It was the one 'reality' show I watched, but I didn't bother this year because she was in it. She is manipulative, a bad mother and so ridiculously pumped up breast-wise that she's a joke. She has worked hard for her 'success' but what kind of role model is she? Get your breasts pumped up like giant air ships, take the soft porn industry by storm and then expect the public to be on your side when you fall so publicly from grace. She's a user, albeit a hard-working one, who deserves no sympathy. It's her poor children I feel sorry for.

I will admit to watching it, but we call it 'freaks in the jungle' :) - missed tonights though..

Maybe us blobbers should do an 'Im on a ferry get me off of here' we could use the portsmouth to gosport ferry or the isle of wight ferry LOL and as people got voted off we could lob them overboard into the Solent :)

Maddie Grigg – I think you said it all but I’d reserve judgment on the bad mother tag, The kids were with their Dad so were well taken care of and men have been leaving their kids in business trips for years so why not a woman? I don’t think they will be too proud of her Glamour Model work when they grow up and the fact that she dresses like a pole dancer but then perhaps being loaded will make up for that!

Marmite – brilliant idea! I know a few people I’d take along with me and they are the same people that would vote for me day in day out!

I've watched it in the past but saw the line up this year and thought ... nah.

I noticed with several of these programmes that the line ups/mix of people are getting very weak - maybe they're just can't scrape the bottom of the celebrity barrel any more. Even Strictly, which I always loved, has quite dull slebs this year.

Hello, Friend. You have me laughing and donkey nodding with your every word. Altho the names of the shows may be different here, the scene is just the same. But how oh how could you beat a path to "get me out of here, i'm a celebrity"? The American version was a train wreck. Have a wonderful Holiday Season, your writing is splendid! Keri

Lane – I think the programmes have had their day. Never watched Strictly – dance isn’t something that interests me much but I hear it was popular. Still, more time for writing if there is less rubbish to watch on the telly!

Sam/Keri – I wondered how it went down on the States. Seems it had the same reaction with your American Z lister’s! Thanks for the very kind comment. Happy festive season to you too.

You know I only watch the American Idol during audition and "kick their butts to the curb week while we hone them down to 12". For my part I want drama, comedy, dramady, and I want paid actors entertaining me. And they'd better entertain, because I'm a champeen at the remote control...I can surf thru 124 channels in nothing flat...and go from 0 to bitch in less time than that...reality? No darlin', I want make believe...and plenty of it!xoSansi

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About Me.....ALLLL About MMMEEEEEEE!

I am a Glaswegian living down south in a beautiful quintessential English village in Northants. I’ve been away for decades but I am a Scot through and through and whilst I love living down south I hanker after my spiritual homeland. One day I plan to go home for good but not just yet – we have commitments here for the moment that prevents a full time move. In the mean time we are planning a big adventure and with luck that will come off for us soon. Since hitting the menopause I have lost some ability to concentrate – that’s a bit of a problem doing my Psychology degree but I am muddling through – although I am seriously considering doing an MA in Literature instead. I leave things in places they shouldn’t be and spend time walking to other rooms then wondering why I went there in the first place. The upside is that I get a fair bit of exercise by retracing my steps to find out why I got out of my chair in the first place. I have a husband called ‘himself’ that I often refer to in my posts – he is due a Humanitarian Award because he puts up with my mood swings